Chef Jonathon Sawyer is proud
Clevelander and a graduate of the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts. He
began his culinary career at The Biltmore Hotel in Miami before working in New
York City alongside Charlie Palmer at Kitchen 22. Chef Sawyer worked as Chef de Cuisine for his
friend and colleague Michael Symon, and then became Symon’s Executive Chef at
Parea, receiving a two star review from The New York Times.

In 2007, Jonathon moved back to his hometown to pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant. Before his dream was realized, Chef Sawyer partnered with a local entrepreneur to open Bar Cento, a modern Roman enoteca in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. During his tenure as Chef and Partner, Bar Cento received many accolades, including Northern Ohio Live's Best New Restaurant, and brought Jonathon much personal attention, earning him the Rising Star Chef award from both Restaurant Hospitality and GAYOT.

Since those days Jonathon has opened four restaurants in Cleveland including his flagship The Greenhouse Tavern, a French and seasonally inspired gastropub and Noodlecat, a mash-up noodlehouse focusing on local ingredients, sustainability, and the best ramen Cleveland has ever seen. Both restaurants are certified by the Green Restaurant Association, and The Greenhouse Tavern has earned many accolades including Best New Restaurants in the United States by Bon Appetit Magazine. Jonathon Sawyer was also honored as a recipient of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef award in 2010. In 2013, Jonathon became a finalist for the James Beard Award's Best Chef: Great Lakes.

With the opening of Noodlecat also came the concept of Brick & Mortar Pop-ups, Cleveland’s first pop up restaurant group. The pop-up restaurants have become a huge hit and include guest chefs Lee Anne Wong, Jeff Michaud, Jason Roberts, Amanda Freitag and more. Chef Jonathon Sawyer has also made several national television appearances including Iron Chef America, Dinner Impossible, Unique Eats, and Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Chef Jonathon Sawyer started the Tavern Vinegar Company in 2011. He can often be found in the cellar of his century home where he ferments over 300 gallons of single origin and blended wine, beer and malt vinegars for the restaurants and for retail sale. Tavern Vinegar Co. is available on the Greenhouse Tavern website and in specialty shops around the country including Publican Quality Meats in Chicago, Room Service in Cleveland, and Revival Market in Houston.

In 2012, Jonathon opened a second Noodlecat location opened in Cleveland’s Historical West Side Market and followed that opening with a brand new concept, “Sawyer’s Street Frites,” in the Cleveland Browns Stadium just in time the 2012-2013 football season and opened another stadium establishment called SeeSaw Pretzel Shoppe in Quicken Loans Arena. Chef recently opened Trentina, a northern Italian inspired restaurant that has been named a runner up in Esquire's Best New Restaurants in October of 2014.

When Jonathon is not in the kitchen he is surrounded by his family, his wife Amelia, son Catcher, daughter Louisiana, dogs Potato and Vito, and chickens Bear & Squid. Jonathon is a tireless supporter of the green movement, local agriculture, and sustainable businesses both in Northeast Ohio and around the country.